


Waiting

by JaggedCliffs



Series: None of This Was Supposed to Happen [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brother Feels, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 20:30:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaggedCliffs/pseuds/JaggedCliffs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki hadn't killed Thor. Now Thor had to see if his brother would try again. The continuation of  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/926709">Planning</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting

When Thor returned to New York's streets, the Avengers did not ask where Thor had been, nor about the healing wound on his neck. Though Captain Rogers, and Banner once he had transformed back into a man, offered to help bandage his shoulder when they arrived back at the Tower, an offer Thor gratefully accepted (though he would fully heal in a few days time). Whether they had surmised he had been fighting Loki, or drew back after seeing the look on his face, Thor did not know. But he was glad for their silence.

Although their restraint did not extend to Loki's weapons.

“Woah, did you steal the evil queen's magic wand or something?” Stark said once the whole team had regrouped on the ground, his helm angled pointedly towards the weapons. The dagger, blood earlier wiped off on Thor's cape, was stuck sheath-less in his belt, while the short spear was held loosely in his left hand, his shoulder too injured to let it do more than dangle at his side.

By now Thor was used to Stark's odd metaphors, and did not need clarification for the Iron Man's question. “He had no more use for them,” Thor replied, a heaviness to his voice he hoped the would dissuade the others from further questions. Thor was in no mood to talk. He often wasn't, after he met his brother in battle. Even now, when there was _hope_ , Loki still could change his mind or follow the whims of his madness. Though Thor would always find ways to reason with his brother, ultimately Loki had to _let_ himself be reasoned with, a possibility that had seemed less and less plausible ever since Loki brought the Chitauri to Midgard.

The Avengers left Thor alone.

Instead, they discussed the battle, both in the jet back to Avengers Tower and during the evening meal as the team relaxed. Director Fury would want a report of the events soon, but S.H.I.E.L.D. could usually wait a day or two.

“...and then Pietro found whatever device Doom was using to get into Reed's building, and Wanda zapped it until it was nothing but a fancy paper weight,” Stark explained to a curious Banner while Pietro smirked, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. At his side, Lady Wanda seemed aloof but pleased. “Doom was spitting mad, like cat dunked under water, you should've seen him, screaming in third person and throwing magic bolts. Then about half his bots stopped working-”

“Only a few minutes before you came back, Thor,” Lady Natasha added, eyeing Thor's expression. Her voice and face was as nonchalant as Loki's when he made a seemingly offhand comment, only for the statement to sit in one's mind until it a became an idea, which led to an action which was usually rather foolish in hindsight. Thor stared back at her, too weary to hide his emotions behind the same type blank mask (he had never mastered them anyway). He made a noncommittal grunt. It was another second before Lady Natasha returned to attention back to Stark, apparently having gleaned whatever information she desired from Thor's face.

“...so when he realized he was screwed, he magicked out of there with his tail between his legs,” Stark went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. “Though we would've had him even if the Doom Bots hadn't malfunctioned.”

“You sure? You looked in trouble when that one had you by the leg,” Barton teased.

Stark scoffed. “And you weren't when you ran out of EMP arrows? Seriously, who even carries those things in the first place...”

Thor let the words drift over him again, half paying attention. Whatever game Loki had been playing, whatever scheme he had hatched with Reed's nemesis while Fantastic Four were abroad, it had all fallen apart now. When Loki had disappeared, it seemed he had taken his aid with him.

Loki was wrong. Thor didn't interfere in his schemes.

Loki did.

Thor was only someone to blame.

 

He put the weapons in his bedroom, next to his pedestal for Mjolnir and chest full of an assortment of trinkets from Asgard. They were cleaned of grime and blood, the spear leaning against the wall the dagger laid on the ground.

And he waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

Two nights later he awoke to a dagger at his throat, a hair-breadth away from skin. Above him, Loki's mad eyes were glistening in the meagre light seeping through the heavy drapes. At his sides, Thor could feel knees pinning him down, and a shaking hand planted next to his head. Thor was sure if he glanced towards Mjolnir, he would see a carefully placed dagger missing from its position, but he kept his eyes locked on his brother's. He couldn't risk looking away. He didn't _want_ to look away.

“I've earned Doom's displeasure because of you and your little _demonstration_.” Loki's voice hissed, breath cool on Thor's face. “Was that the point of your _scheme_? To tear our alliance apart? You certainly managed that, Odinson, with your foolish distraction. You keep _ruining_ my plans, simply with your presence. With your _life_. So why _can't I kill you_?” The quiet words turned into something between a snarl and a scream.

Thor wasn't surprised Loki had managed to twist the past to something more palatable to his brother's mind. Loki had always found manipulation easier to understand than sincerity ( _You are incapable of sincerity_ , he'd said, but that hadn't always been true. There's been a time when Loki had allowed his true emotions to be seen, before a carefully constructed mask became Loki's face). Once again, Thor felt that great weariness, weighing down his every step and word taken against Loki. Uncaring if his brother's question wasn't directed towards him, Thor answered anyway. “Because you don't want me dead.”

“ _Of course_ I want you _dead_ -”

“I offered my life!” Thor roared, startling Loki back a few inches, taking the blade with him. “No scheme, no plans, it was _your_ decision and you refused!” Grabbing Loki's shoulder with his right hand, as his left arm was still weak, Thor pushed his brother fully upright, sitting up himself. “You could have killed me while I was sleeping. If it is this easy for you to enter the Tower undetected, you could have killed me _any_ night while I slept. Yet you have not. Because you _cannot_.” Thor felt his eyes grow damp, and his voice softened to a whisper. “All this time, Loki, and you cannot kill me.”

For a moment Loki was frozen, then the world contorted, Thor's sight awash in golden light, and Thor was no longer in Stark's tower.

There was a chill wind on his face and the sound of the ocean crashing on rocks. His bedsheets were still tangled between him and Loki, but beneath him was craggy, hard stone.

“I _want_ you dead.” Loki said quietly, barely audible over the ocean. His face was turned to the side, looking out over the white-tipped waves. “I want you gone, so you'll stop _pretending_ that we're still family, that everything can return to how it once was, that you can have your _precious little brother_ back.” There was hitch in Loki's voice, a break between his words of scorn, and Loki looked towards Thor, eyes were furious and mad and _yearning_. “I just want you to stop.”

In the weak sunlight, filtering between grey clouds, Thor could see the dark bruises beneath Loki's wild eyes, and skin paler than normal. Knowing his brother, Loki probably hadn't done much in the past two days but run his thoughts around in circles until they made some sort of sense. Wishing he could break through Loki's mad logic and twisting thoughts to make his brother _understand_ , Thor tightened his grip on Loki's shoulder. “And what would you do? If I stopped?” _If I stopped loving you. If I stopped caring._

(Not that Thor could ever stop.)

Loki stared, his blank mask slamming back into place, shrouding his emotions once again. But not before Thor saw his eyes, too wide. Frightened.

Standing abruptly, Loki turned and walked to the edge of the craggy rock. “As I have said. I would be _free_.” Loki spun around, glaring down at Thor. “I would be _happy,_ ” he bit out.

Slowly, Thor pushed the sheets off his legs and stood facing his brother. He spread his arms, feeling exposed wearing nothing but the bandages on his shoulder and the loose red pants Jane had bought him as sleepwear. But Thor was not here to do battle. “Yes, you have claimed so before. And yet you refuse yourself your supposed freedom.” Thor glanced pointedly toward the dagger, dangling uselessly at Loki's side. Before returning his gaze to Loki's face, Thor noticed Loki's fingers curl tightly around the weapon's hilt. “Loki...” Thor said, trying to pack all his exasperation and hope and love into that one word, and took a tentative step forward. “Time and time again you have not killed me. Do you even know _why_?”

There was a flash of silver, and the dagger embedded in the rock just in front of Thor's foot. Thor stood still, watching the emotions play across his brother's face, one of Loki's arms still out-stretched, mid-throw. Anger, fear, self-loathing, and then the face Thor had seen haunting his nightmares, the one before Loki let go, and he looked _lost_.

Then once more Loki was gone, out of Thor's reach, all that was left a dagger at Thor's feet (instead of a spear in his grasp, lighter than it should be).

But this time, Thor hoped Loki was no longer falling, And if he was, Thor would do his best to catch him.

(Because he could not fail his brother again.)

 

It turned out Thor was on a small island, just off the coast of Norway. He had found out by stumbling into a small town on the island, barefoot, dagger hidden amongst the bedsheets thrown over his shoulder. The inhabitants Thor encountered had been very confused, but a kind woman in a restaurant had allowed Thor the use of her phone. At first, Stark was not pleased to be awoken by the call (it was already late morning wherever Thor was), but was quick to help once Thor explained, briefly, his situation.

Stark did not wish to fly to Norway, nor carry Thor back, and the only Avenger willing to fly the Quinjet in the middle of the night was Captain Rogers. Thor assured his friend that the trip would not be necessary, as he did not wish to burden the captain for Loki's strange whims (although perhaps not so strange, as they had been to this area of Midgard hundreds of years ago, and maybe Loki had been _here_ before), so instead, Rogers carried Mjolnir to the top of Stark's tower.

Sitting on a rock, watching the grey waves lap against the shore, Thor held out his hand and waited for Mjolnir to return.

**Author's Note:**

> Wanda and Pietro show up (briefly) because Avengers 2 and I like them. And I went with Doom as the generic ally because I can't think of anyone else from Earth whom Loki would willingly team up with, would pose a threat to the Avengers (nearly) solo, but not enough of a threat that Thor would have to join in.


End file.
